Arteta: We had to suffer to reach final

Mikel Arteta has admitted that Arsenal "had to suffer" in reaching the FA Cup final after edging out Wigan on penalties at Wembley.

The Gunners went 1-0 down to the cup holders in the second half, but Per Mertesacker's header eight minutes from the end forced extra-time, with goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski making two saves in the penalty shootout to send Arsenal through.

Arteta, who scored his penalty in the 4-2 shootout victory, says the team were made to go through pain in rescuing the tie.

"We're really happy. It seems like at the moment we need to suffer and really earn things but I think we've done it," Arteta told the club's official website.

Arsenal are one match away from ending their nine-year trophy drought, with the FA Cup of 2005 being the last time they lifted silverware.

And Arteta believes he and his team-mates have the desire to end the season with a trophy.

"We've got an unbelievable opportunity," he said. "We've got the hunger and I think we've got everything we need to do it. We don't want to waste that opportunity and we're going to do it now.

"To get in a final is never easy and you look at Wigan and how we had to fight to beat Spurs first which is really tough, then Liverpool, then Everton and then them. They beat Man City and were the better team on the day."